American History 101

We spent the night about two miles outside of Historic Williamsburg. Set up the RV quickly and then went grocery shopping at the Walmart Supercenter (cupboards were bare). Arrived back after dark, around 4:30-5:00. We have notice on the eastern coast, dusk is about 4:30 in the afternoon, even if you have had a clear, sunny day. We are not liking that! Makes for a short day. We sat in the evening reading and enjoying the quiet night and campground. But during the middle of the night, the RV vibrated, swayed, and roared from the FOUR trains that passed through. Turns out, we are about 50 feet from the tracks....right behind us!! No trains in the evening. No trains since. But FOUR in the middle of our sleep time!!

Here's your history lesson. Visiting the Historic Triangle is like taking a refresher course in American History 101. Colonial Williamsburg was once the capital of the Virginia Commonwealth and the largest and wealthiest colony in British North America. It was also the center of debate over independence from or continued allegiance to England. Seventy of the original structures from the 18Th-century have been preserved and walking the streets is like stepping back in time. Williamsburg is the home to the College of William & Mary, the second oldest college in the country, founded in 1693. There was this great peanut shop that had free samples of everything peanut; plain peanuts, spiced peanuts, chocolate-covered peanuts, peanut dips. We had a feast on the various samples provided and got caught up in a "senior moment" trying them all! Along with the glaring eyes from the clerk behind the counter.

Next we drove to Historic Yorktown, the end of Colonial America under British rule. In October of 1781, the British surrender to the combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle for American independence. Overlooking the York River, this colonial-era village had many charming homes that survived the battle. The one picture of the Georgian-architecture-style Nelson House (Yorktown's famous son, a member of the Continental Congress, state legislature, governor of Virginia and a signer of the Declaration of Independence) shows two cannon balls embedded in the outside wall. It is said that during the siege on Yorktown, Gen. Thomas Nelson, Jr. directed artillery fire at his own house because he thought British officers might be using it. We also visited the Yorktown Battlefield, the site of the final major clash of the American Revolution. As the picture shows many trenches and "earth mounds" (or parapet; earthen embankment) around the cannons out in the battlefield. These areas have been preserved to show how the soldiers were protected from the shelling. Of course during our tour of the battlefield, the rain started! A sure sign the Lang's are back on the road sight-seeing.

Our last stop on this historic tour was Jamestown or James Fort, the start of Colonial America, America's birthplace. The place has become a national icon whose meaning is entangled with the legend of Pocahontas and John Smith. In 1607, one hundred-and-four English men and boys formed a settlement on the James River; thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. Their goal was to make a profit from the resources of the New World. On this original site a fort was built, archaeological excavation still going on today to uncover the remains. It was once believed that the fort had eroded into the James River, but nearly all of it exists on dry land. The only surviving 17Th-century structure is the Jamestown brick church tower. The excavation also uncovered graves of many settlers, less then one third survived the first year. Those graves are marked with rod iron crosses. And yes, we walked the entire digging site in the rain!

And that concludes your history lesson, and ours! Visiting this entire east coast is ALL HISTORY. So much happened here and so long ago. Michigan really is just a baby compared to all this. Tomorrow...packing up and heading to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Hoping for no rain and no trains.